The funny thing about being a midseason All-American is it doesn’t always lead to being an All-American at the end of the season.

Conference play tends to bring out the best in the best. Sporting News once named Marquette guard Aaron Hutchins to the midseason team. We named North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough to our full-season first team four times.

The funny thing about Sporting News' 2011-12 midseason All-American team, though, is it has a look of permanence to it. There’s just an impressive quality about the first team that suggests each of the players will be difficult to unseat.

Then again, there are players lurking on the second and third teams — and beyond — who could rearrange the order by the time we lock this all in when the regular-season concludes. Check the third team, and you’ll see a group of guys who could establish themselves as the nation’s best in the end.

First team

John Henson, PF, junior, North Carolina. Although Henson is not the best-known or highest-scoring of the Tar Heels, he has been their most impressive player to date. His position would appear to be the most precarious of the first-teamers because teammate Harrison Barnes remains one of the nation’s most talented players and could surge into a first-team spot by dominating the ACC schedule. But Henson has been a complete player for UNC since expanding his offensive repertoire during the offseason. His ability to hit turnaround jumpers from either side of the baseline has made him a legit scoring threat (14.9 points per game), not just a putback guy. He also is an imposing defensive presence averaging 3.2 blocks and 9.9 rebounds per game.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky, freshman. Is it possible the most complete college player has 16 games of experience? It’s not definite, but it’s possible. Kidd-Gilchrist already is the Wildcats’ top perimeter defender, a player coach John Calipari will assign to defend any of four positions. He is the team’s second-leading scorer although UK rarely runs a play for him. He is devastating in transition and scramble situations. His ability to make impactful, winning plays is uncommon for such a young player.

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Doug McDermott, PF, Creighton, sophomore. One might suspect his cartoonish shooting — 63.2 percent from the field, 58.2 percent from 3-point range, 86.3 percent from the free-throw line — is the result of playing in the Missouri Valley Conference. But Creighton has played only four Valley games. The Blue Jays also faced three teams from the Big Ten plus others from the Atlantic 10, Mountain West and Conference USA. He’s had games of 44, 35 and 31 points. When he blew up Bradley last weekend for the biggest of those numbers, he shot 16-of-23 from the field.

Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas, junior. Aside from his incredible strength and skill around the bucket, the quality that is easiest to love about Robinson is his humility. He was content to earn playing time and develop in KU’s program in an era when starters will transfer because they’d rather play a different position. Robinson’s patience is being rewarded with a spectacular season — and the respect of many who love the game.

Jared Sullinger, C, Ohio State, sophomore. His performance at various points has been diminished by back and foot injuries, but Sullinger at his best is a level above all college players. No surprise there. He was one of the five best last year, and the other four are gone. But this is a slightly new Sullinger, his better-conditioned body opening new avenues of excellence. He broke open a win against Iowa by busting a 3-pointer, rejecting a shot and later banking in a half-hook from the right block. As his waistline has shrunk, his game has grown.

Second team

Isaiah Canaan, G, Murray State, junior. Dayton coach Archie Miller gets credit for being perhaps the first to declare Canaan ranked with the best college players. He would know, though: His Flyers gave up 21 points and five 3-pointers to the raciest of the Racers.

Kevin Jones, F, West Virginia, senior. Jones is like a modern-day Kenyon Martin for the Mountaineers — blossoming as a senior to dominate for coach Bob Huggins.

Mike Scott, F, Virginia, senior. Scott’s 16.5 points per game represent 25 percent of UVa’s scoring output. If he did the same in an offense played at North Carolina’s nation-leading pace, Scott would be good for 22 points a game.

Cody Zeller, C, Indiana, freshman. His presence does so much to elevate IU at both ends that one could argue he’s the most valuable player in Division I.

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Third team

Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina, sophomore. Leading the Tar Heels in scoring, he has yet to establish himself as UNC’s most significant player. But remember, he was a second-half player last season.

Anthony Davis, C, Kentucky, freshman. The presumptive No. 1-overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Davis has blocked shots, rebounded and finished above the rim. He has done everything coach John Calipari has asked of him. UK just hasn’t asked as much of him as of Kidd-Gilchrist.

Draymond Green, F, Michigan State, senior. So versatile, so productive, so committed — Green was the toughest player to exclude from the first two teams.

Kris Joseph, F, Syracuse, senior. Jim Boeheim’s suddenly socialistic approach to playing time — everyone gets a share — has removed some of Joseph’s workload. But he’s about as productive as a year ago — and far more efficient. Synergy Sports Technologies indicates he is one of Syracuse's best zone defenders, holding opponents to 17.1 percent in spot-up situations.

Jeremy Lamb, F, Connecticut, sophomore. Like every component of UConn basketball this season, Lamb has been slightly out of sorts but still reasonably impressive.